u.s. president oldham says american forces will pull out of dollars than of talks with the taliban lead to a peace deal we're going into close to nineteen years and being in afghanistan and for the first time they're talking about settling they're talking about making an agreement and we bring our people back home if that happens we'll see what happens but there are really very serious negotiations for the first time there's a reason for that so i think we're going so well our foreign policy basij. germany france and britain have launched a new payment system with iran which bypasses u.s. sanctions the movie's aimed at saving the twenty fifteen iran nuclear deal that washington pulled out of last year that has a buckler has both powerless. it was on the sidelines of the european union foreign ministers meeting in bucharest that france britain and germany launched a new e.u. payment mechanism to allow european companies to continue trading with iran and

bypass u.s. sanctions ministers hope the initiative will safeguard the twenty fifteen iran nuclear deal and help ensure regional stability is an example of that or at least we are making clear that we are not only talking about keeping the nuclear agreement live but we are now creating a possibility to do business transactions that is a prerequisite for us so we can deliver on our obligations and in return be able to ask iran not to develop enrich uranium for military use the e.u.'s foreign policy chief who was one of the twenty fifteen deals may negotiators work on the trade system called instax the establishment of the special purpose vehicle is i believe the mechanism that would allow for legitimate trade to continue as for c.n.n. in of the missile for support from our side then he you payment system will avoid transfers in dollars it will be based in paris overseen by a banking manager in germany and supervised by

a board in the united kingdom in the beginning it will be for trade in things like medicine food and some humanitarian items but the idea is that it could be expanded to trade in other areas the mechanism will help mainly small and medium businesses but it may not be enough to persuade european multinationals such as french oil giant total german car maker dana to resume trade with iran and risk u.s. penalties but some analysts say its symbolism is important because it sends two clear messages one to tehran that the e.u. is serious about maintaining the nuclear deal and the other to washington washington is the method it sends about the future as well here and the europeans that thing are signaling that if the u.s. continues this already you and all. an inch of that secondary sanctions policy that the europeans can really begin to build up something bigger and response to it and that this special purpose vehicle is just the first that donald trump says he hopes

that u.s. sanctions will force tehran into a new deal so file iranian leaders say they won't renegotiate but they welcome the e.u. payment plan those here will hope that the mechanism will save the nuclear agreement because if it collapses it could deal a blow to europe's efforts and credibility the al-jazeera paris well still ahead here a large is there a keeping the nuclear deal alive but even passes u.s. sanctions to keep trading with iran. and brazil's indigenous communities protest against as impulse lowers policies which they say threaten genocide. hello again welcome back we're here across the northern part of australia we're totally talking about the northern territory and queensland we're talk about a lot of rain that's been happening over the last couple of days and in townsville

we're talking about a disaster being declared because of the very heavy rain that they have seen unfortunately over the next few days as you can see here in the forecast map the rain is going to continue across much of that area there of low pressure that is turning is really not moving too much so that means more rain is going to fall in the same locations from friday as well as into saturday took over the forecast map there will be seeing some flooding going on across much of that area down towards the south though the temperatures are on their way back melbourne thirty three degrees few adelaide at thirty seven and over here towards city well it's going to be a nice day at about twenty six degrees there well for the north and south island of new zealand we are going to see a change we have a front that's making its way across the tasman sea that is first going to be bringing some clouds and rain here for christ church as we end the week right there with some rainy conditions the temperature there. about twenty six degrees but that's going to be the warmest you see because as we go toward saturday that front moves up to the north you are cooling down to about twenty and auckland is going to be about twenty six up towards fiji though we're going to be seeing some mostly

cloudy conditions few with maybe a rain shower passing through an attempt to there about thirty. the plundering of armenia's natural riches as uprooted residents. desecrated the habitat of some of europe's most endangered species. but a remarkable campaign by local residents is challenging the miked of the country's investors and putting high hopes on its newly elected prime minister people in power investigates armenia mining out the left. on a zero. but

the work you're watching are just there as we sell romney a reminder of our top stories venezuela's opposition leader one who has accused security forces loyal to president nicolas maduro of threatening his family former military officers have also been arrested accused of plotting to overthrow. the u.s. senators to measure opposing president trump's plan to withdraw troops from syria and afghanistan it says pulling out could allow iceland al qaeda to regroup and destabilize both countries. the us president says progress has been made with china during talks aimed at easing a trade spat between the two powers donald trump as the deal will be finalized until he meets chinese president xi jinping. at least twenty nine children and babies have died in a refugee camp in northeastern syria over the past two weeks i prefer mia it's been

blamed for most of the deaths more than twenty three thousand people mostly women and children as scaping fighting arrived at whole camp since the end of november the world health organization says many families made the journey on foot in freezing conditions now a u.s. federal court has ruled that syria's government is responsible for the death of american journalist marie colvin in two thousand and twelve it's also ordered the payment of more than three hundred million dollars in compensation to her family the judge said syrian forces deliberately targeted the area where colvin and her team were staying to silence her and other media critical of president bashar and these are the old guard around code has been valued at two trillion dollars something more than ten million barrels of oil a day but last year the kingdom council the firm's stock listing al-jazeera investigates the reasons behind the ambitious offering. home to the muslim worlds

holiest sites saudi arabia's real source of power comes from oil and saudi aramco turns that black gold into dollars and results a company which is never to be noted independently was the crown jewel of the so-called vision twenty thirty there is no doubt that iran is one of the key pillars to this vision to the growth of our economy and to the progress of the entire kingdom of saudi arabia. but the company which funds saudi arabia's budget never appeared on any stock market and the kingdom's economy has tanked since then al-jazeera has investigated the ideas behind vision twenty thirty the politics of the kingdom which revolve around oil money and the reasons why the proposed saudi aramco sell off did not work the secretive company has never had to declare its financial reports and that is a massive transformation had gone public one of the major objections by people in the kingdom was their fear of the money would go into the pockets of the royal

family the other issue was the nearly constant oil build saudi arabia has claimed since it took over from american big oil firms which founded iran called looking at their reserves figures makes if you look too closely at it you start. scratching your head you wonder how it can stay roughly constant from year to year when they're there producing an export and so much oil every year five hundred thirty three million dollars five hundred twenty five million dollars the screeners for you to increase to the crown prince spent millions of dollars to build an image of change and progress but the public relations drive abroad as well as any improvements at home have not proceeded as planned but i see that as a much bigger backlash and even the religious or conservative people really unemployment saudis are not taking jobs the biggest setbacks to shake investor.

dinse came after the confinement of saudi businessmen the imprisonment of rights activists and economists and find the key the fallout from the killing of saudi journalist. and you're. asking for people to be allowed to speak for the meaning of killing of the saudi journalist that has put them in the spotlight and if they come forward and tell the whole truth of what happened if not. they may be faced with harsh. economic sanctions. and if that's the case the market. seems to be saying well saudi arabia's economy is going to fall off a cliff. and you can watch this al-jazeera news special aramco of the company and the states on friday twenty hundred hours g.m.t. . stay in the middle east because supporters of lebanon's prime minister are

celebrating the formation of a new government was i. saw that we will have a new cabinet handing a nine month deadlock which destabilized lebanon's economy the breakthrough came after rival factions worked out a compromise on representation of sunni lawmakers backed by the powerful shiite group has. it was in egypt a word that is a plot to silence them after a lawyer filed a complaint against for human rights groups who met french president manuel micro-loan during his visit to egypt earlier this week the complaint accuses the groups of offering the egyptian state and harming the country's interests and sense they discussed death sentences and prison conditions with micro explained says they also talked about the proposed constitutional changes a minimum fee is there in the middle east and north africa to ition of human rights watch the sense the number of cases against activists are increasing under

president sisi we have seen these kinds of companies in style by lawyers who are very hyper nationalist and pro-government and egyptian law unfortunately permits this kind of lawsuits filled by trials by lawyers who have nothing at stake at actually but they just lie these. over productivity jones actually laughable of harming national security and spreading false news and ask the different authorities to try. activists from the egyptian nationality or to actually imprison them and we have seen the risk users acting in many cases upon these complaints and they're creating activists to court these lawyers have strong ties with the security agencies and we have seen this brother also under president mubarak when lawyers who have ties with the

government and security agencies filed complaints against writers and activists but under president c.c. . porter afraid think hugely and the numbers of cases of such cases are i think. cameron's opposition leader has been charged with insurrection and scientific violence lauri's. led regular protests against longtime president paul buyer since losing an election in october which government opponents say was fraudulent if found guilty and will could face life in prison. the funeral of an activist who sought justice for victims of wartime sexual slavery is being held in south korea kim bach dong died on monday and was one of the thousands of so-called comfort women forced into brothels run by the japanese military joining the second world war part of can see in our possession is taking place in front of the japanese embassy in seoul pride has the latest from there. a highly

charged ceremony often very emotional literally hundreds of people following behind the funeral cortege through the streets of seoul to here in front of the japanese embassy ninety three year old kim has come to very much symbolize the plight and the suffering of south korea's comfort women there are some twenty three who are still left alive she was probably the most prominent among them she'd spent the latter part of her life traveling widely speaking on the subject campaigning for not only the comfort women but for other young victims of sexual violence in conflict areas she her life long wish of course had been for the prime minister of japan to give an apology on behalf of the japanese people that of course has never happened as far as the japanese are concerned they believe that an agreement signed with the previous south korean administration back in twenty fifteen was meant to

have resolved this matter once and for all the fund was set up to compensate the comfort women who are still alive and have cues the current administration of effectively run their going on that deal. in brazil hundreds of indigenous people have been demonstrating against president john paul sonora and has more from the protest in sao paulo. representatives from some of the nine hundred thousand or so indigenous people just across brazil have come to sell the biggest city in the country by this far away from those communities if they could possibly be but they're hoping to hear their voices will be heard anything from the sound we hear to protest against a government that wants to remove some of the rights we have in the queue to decrease on by the president and generally the first is going to harm the indigenous people we want to get this document and know that he's while we are demonstrating in different parts of the country today they are these are people who have been persecuted they say for more than five hundred years ever since the

arrival of the first europeans they have suffered massacres they have suffered lang grabs but they're saying the situation now is that it's never been given the policies of the recently installed president joe biden so now paulson out all during his campaign he said that not one centimeter of brazilian land will be dumber demarcated as he did to his territory he was asked why the less than one percent of the brazilian population should have control over twelve percent of the country's lantos. to get some much of that land was host to mineral wealth it's a logging territory that land should be exploited that should be allowed people should be allowed to make a profit that is also changing the law to allow more people to have guns so this is was really upset the indigenous community they fear a relaxation of the rules protecting their status within the constitution and any protection they once enjoyed under the law have been curtailed and they must now unify gather the support of as many non-indigenous brazilians as possible to try to

fight against what they feel is a hostile government means ten people have died in the us from a once in a generation cold snap algis there was john hendren reports off in chicago. the big chill that swept down from the arctic into the american midwest made chicago colder than the north pole and parts of mars this is not a usual situation it's unusual therefore we have to do things and remind people both for their personal well being the well being of their residents the well being of their home and their property what you have to do take the precautions so nothing bad happens more than eighty percent of americans who fell below zero temperatures. froze over the town of hell michigan that is in chicago it was even colder with wind chills making it feel like minus forty five degrees celsius. you don't want to do that nearby rockville hit its lowest

temperature ever at minus thirty for the polar vortex canceled thousands of flights and trains. but there's not enough layers for this called unless you're prepared to go to the arctic the u.s. postal service has suspended deliveries in. the once in a generation freeze brought white out conditions in iowa and crashed cars across the midwestern u.s. thousands were left without power or heat. now midwest residents prepare for weather whiplash with weekend temperatures expected to climb as high as. polar vortex to spring like john hendren chicago.

with a reminder of all top stories. president nicolas maduro. threatening his family former military officers have also been arrested accused of plotting to overthrow madeira. so i say to the gentleman of the highest pollies here i am with my wife my daughter my house and i will hold you responsible for any threat to my baby who is only twenty months all what they do to this whole country and i say from here leave my home the u.s. senators back to measure opposing the president of france plan to withdraw troops from syria and afghanistan it says that pulling out could allow isilon double collided to regroup and destabilize both countries. the u.s. and china progress has been made in trade talks aimed at easing tensions between the two nations but president trump says no deal will be finalized until he meets chinese president xi jinping. a u.s.

federal court has ruled that syria's government is responsible for the death of american journalist marie colvin in two thousand and twelve it's also all of the payment of more than three hundred million dollars in compensation to a family the judge says syrian forces deliberately targeted the area world colvin and her team was staying to silence her and other media critical of president bashar assad supporters of lebanon's prime minister have been celebrating the formation of a new government saad hariri will head a new cabinet and a nine month deadlock which destabilized lebanon's economy cameron's opposition leader has been charged with insurrection and inciting violence morey's kanto has led regular protests against the longtime president paul by air since losing an election in october which government opponents say was fortunate. the funeral of an activist who sold justice for victims of wartime sexual slavery is being held in

south korea kim but dong who has died on monday and was one of thousands of these so-called comfort women fulls to into brothels run by the japanese military cheering the second world war those are the headlines about with more news in the stay with us here on al-jazeera. the week began with views of a ninety day for truce in the tip for tat u.s. china trade will the world's largest supplier of liquefied natural gas is leaving the biggest oil cartel we bring you the stories that are shaping the economic world we live in counting the cost on al-jazeera. twenty eighteen a new government came to power in armenia and made widespread optimism that its leader they coped with in decades of corruption and economic mismanagement but now his administration faces a major dilemma whether to proceed with a huge b.

defying mining project but some are warning will cause enormous environmental damage and in danger one of the world's rarest animal species. the former soviet republic of armenia has witnessed dramatic changes in the last twelve months. a bloodless revolution led by journalist turned politician nicole pushing and promised an end to decades of corrupt rule this. is just one a snap election and for the first time in years there is hope to ms m o first

priority is to continue. to call it was and to make a real difference to see not mean young because. all mania has enjoyed years of blockades imposed by its neighbors turkey and azerbaijan the country's economy never really recovering from the collapse of the u.s.'s own. previous governments resorted to leasing its mineral rich benton's to foreign mining concerns it was driven by a need for revenue but it's also cools and momus environmental damage even worse say some of the economic benefits were only ever enjoyed by a few new army of all which will probably have not its cause. there's still. to me soon along with all new notion. of cool loss of slumberous in the fishes if you took both still but it will it's the privilege. of the latest of these mining

projects is proving hugely divisive supported by the previous government and poised to begin work it is said to explode a massive gold deposit in the south of the country but it is being blockaded by activists who believe that profits are less important than armenia's unique environment you can't drink gold or you can't eat gault you can't just bury gold you need pure environment for life. what happens next for the mine goes ahead all the activists win the battle lies in the hands of the new prime minister nicole pushing in. it's a decision that could affect the future of his administration and threaten the ecosystem and even the fate of one of the world's most imperiled animal species. tiny landlocked all mean year is the oldest christian country in the world.

blessed with rich soils it is also considered to be the birthplace of wine and even today agriculture forms the mainstay of the economy. the magnificent mind ararat where many believe the remains of noah's ark will one day be found is the national symbol. today the mountains of armenia like the fabled on remain a refuge for many endangered animals the hunting ground of the world's rarest big cat the koch asian leopard of which there are estimated to be only ten left in the country. this unique footage was captured by trial cameras. alexander more caution a rule authority on the reclusive animal has been charting the leopard's battle for

survival for over twenty years as an awful events and outdated dodig what ali was shelagh the by so show off. and as such i'm not going to be a lot of color loaf. where that box of yours i'd say i'm in the corner but you're not going to get rid of. but the fate of this magnificent beast hangs in the balance with the new mind ready and waiting to get into production. yes there is are lots of players many of. them where you are but it was enough to go. deep within the karabakh ridge a mountain called amel saw which translates as the barren place is ironically the side of a massive gold deposit discovered by anglo-american mining company lydian international who intend to extract the precious metal by means of

a controversial he pleasing process. maybe an international as of biggest for any western culture during the last for been years we invested about five hundred billion over this project is very important for the economy or. we designed the project to be. environmentally. safe first of all he pleased ethnology doesn't have to face down there is no issues with water no issues with the health of community. but local see things differently and fearful that their lives are about to change forever. that tourism in the free trade which have always been the main source of income will be destroyed if the mind goes ahead. spurred on by the

recent revolution for the last six months protesters have blocked all roads to the mountain stopping for the mine construction. first we leave out to our cars then we bring and now we bring temporary hall was this really this is the place we are leaving to go. this is our scene well that's we must save on the side we thought our mom i know we're almost. on and we must save eat right home michael he was not going to while we were on last night where we jump are you going to tell your son john i would get your rights reborn as the loved you document your for the conqueror gold see i born or two or none of them made her michael jordan got all those the. many. have come to this remote sports to support the book ages. people like annie from the capital younger than he has a seven year old son is. every time i go to. his

us can need to stay with him and i just explain him that if i don't go. who who can go so i feel it's some moral duty to go there and to stand with them anyway it's a little bit difficult because i'm a girl and they're all boys but i can say that during this months we became just like family. well let us know when there's just this just this nice woman ya got so she'll start to hear sure should just leave it like that it. would publish with. the blockade has proved for a markedly effective. the machinery and trucks light idle the project is literally frozen. which is. it's about hollywood

or but now it's more because we're lost people. professionals we have a mean eight hundred thousand two hundred seventy courtrooms. the blockade is making some people just because of the wider implications for not coming one day close all the mines because they will have basically you will be destroyed a big part of your budget thousands and thousands of people will be out of the job armenia's titular head of state president sarkozy and used to be on the board of lydian the blockaders believe he's just one of many power brokers backing the mind his role was more of brokering this potential big investment into into the country as opposed to anything else.

on my side has been a fixer for this mining project and we wanted to. we actually asked him directly questions of what was his role and asked him to disclose information that is particularly important at the moment. he denied to disclose information when you join a board you saw him challenging. my cautious is absolutely clear what i did absolutely clear. non the less the blockade is a wary of the president preferred to put their faith in armenia's new prime minister nicole pushing him on his shoulders the future of the minaya rests a political ad side and in a fired man of the people last spring the shinya was swept into office on an unprecedented wave of popular support. he promised to end the endemic

corruption that have dogged his country under the decade long rule of former president says sykes sound of the republican party his attempt to stay in power by becoming prime minister had set off a political earthquake. the legitimacy i mean social. psychological edge over the public at port was very they were not popular even ten years ago with this exit because the truth. pushing in a former political prisoner began a long march from the west of the country to the capital yerevan much of the time with his wife at his side in her right at the. heart of itself. i doubt. we had a good hour to get it behind our back is on one of almost nothing and like this one word yes that's what has called. a sense of again that's the good knots i levels

most economists that. with hundreds of thousands of supporters on the streets demanding he become prime minister instead of socks in pushing eunice yoon pilot and yvel the travelling. immediately set about tackling corruption with high profile cases like the mayor of yerevan his numerous mansions were filmed by a drain the video of which went viral on the internet. people were incensed glove in the pit these are options to push an additional. dish near us through you know those are. those that still can look up you. know to see you sprouted leaves to be something that in your bus almost of the mood of the. culture of corruption came from the soviet era and it was and it wasn't fought with them.